A Warrior's Pain
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Leo is still recovering from his wounds. Can his family help him out? Takes place after Tales of Leo.
1. Chapter 1

A Warrior's Pain

Chapter 1: Awakening

A/N: I'm back, people! Back with another awesome story. Well, at least I think it's awesome. I don't know what you guys will think. I hope you like it though. It didn't take me long to plan it out. Hope you enjoy it!

Summary: This story takes place after the "Tales of Leo" episode. Leonardo is still recovering from his injuries, but he still has emotional scars. Can his family help him snap out of it?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. They are owned by Mirage Studios, Inc. I'm making no profit from this story. It's just for fun. I do own the plot though. Any flames will be cut up by Leo's famous swords. Enjoy!

Leonardo opened his eyes. At first he couldn't remember where he was, but then it all came rushing back. The Foot had ambushed him! Where was Shredder? Where were his brothers? Were they safe? He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He tried to sit up, but a sharp spasm of pain stopped him, making him gasp. He'd forgotten how sore he was.

Outside the room, Leo's brother, Raphael, had heard his brother gasp. Was something wrong? He hurried into the room to see his brother trying to sit up. He knew that Leo would just injure himself more.

"Hold on, Leo," the Turtle in red said, rushing to his brother's side. "Don't try to do too much at once. You got beat pretty bad."

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Raph," he said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm just worried about you," Raph said gently. "I don't want anything like this to happen to you again."

"If you hadn't been sleeping, it probably wouldn't have happened in the first place!" Leo snapped.

Raph was taken aback. Leo had never spoken to him like that before. "Leo, I wanted to go after you, but Splinter wouldn't let me," he explained.

"That never stopped you before," Leo retorted.

"Yeah, well, it did then," Raph said. "I actually listened to him. I've been out there all night, waiting to see if you needed me. I thought you'd be a little more grateful."

Leo sighed. "Raph, I'm grateful for what you've done for me," he said. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just wish this had never happened."

"We all wish that, bro," Raph said softly. "I swear, Shredder's gonna pay for what he did to you. He might not be alive after I'm done with him."

Leo smiled at Raph's desire to protect him. He'd definitely changed overnight. Then, Leo realized that they all probably had changed. Mikey was probably worried about Leo's injuries, Don was most likely fretting about treating Leo's wounds, April was devastated by the loss of her shop, Casey was probably angry at the Foot, and Splinter was more than likely angry at Leo for failing him. Heck, this was all his fault.

"Leo, I know what you're thinkin'," Raph said. "Don't blame yourself for this. It ain't your fault."

"Yes, it is, Raph," Leo contradicted. "If I hadn't gone out there alone, I probably wouldn't have gotten hurt. I shouldn't have even tried to fight them. I should have just gone home."

"They wouldn't have let you go home," Raph said matter- of-factly. "They would have kept on chasin' you and beatin' you down. Don't do this to yourself. Just concentrate on getting better."

"Who says I want to get better?" retorted Leo. "You're all better off without me!"

"That's not true, Leo!" said Raph sternly. "We need you! I don't know where we'd be without you. Didn't you hear us when we were tellin' you those stories?"

"Yeah, I heard you, but I didn't believe you," answered Leo. "I always thought you hated me, Raph. I mean, you told me you didn't need me anymore yesterday. You resent me because I'm bossy."

"Well, get that thought out of your head right now," ordered Raph. "I don't hate you. I never did. I was just angry at what happened to you. You know I like to hide my emotions with anger. I'm here for you if you need me. I hope you realize that."

Leo did realize it, but he didn't want to talk anymore. "Just go away, Raph," he said. "I don't want to talk anymore. I need to be alone."

"Well, okay," replied Raph. "I'll send in the others when they wake up."

"I don't want to see anyone," said Leo. "I just want to be alone today."

"All right, Leo," said Raph with a gentle smile. "I'll come back and bring you breakfast. What do you want?"

"I'm not very hungry," Leo answered. "I'll have something later."

"That's cool," Raph said, giving his brother's shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then he listened as footsteps started coming down the stairs. "Sounds like the others are gettin' up," he remarked. "I'm gonna get me some grub. I'll talk to you later."

Michelangelo's footsteps came barreling down the stairs. "I've got dibs on the kitchen!" he shouted. "Time for some of my excellent cooking!"

"Oh, no you don't!" April interjected. "_I'm _manning the kitchen today! We've had enough of your scrambled eggs, thank you!"

"Aw, man!" Mikey groaned. Then, he went to look for a T.V. so he could watch cartoons. He found one in another room with a worn couch. Mikey turned on the T.V. but got a fuzzy signal. He adjusted the antenna until he got a clear signal.

"Hey, Casey, do you get cable here?" he asked.

"Sorry, Mikey," Casey replied. "Grandma didn't believe in cable."

"Aw, nuts!" Mikey complained. "We should be at the Lair." Then, he thought for a minute. "Well, do you have satellite?" he asked Casey hopefully.

"Do you see a satellite dish out there?" Donatello asked.

Mikey looked out the window. "Nope," he said.

"Okay, what's on?" Mikey asked dolefully. "I wish I could watch Animal Planet." He flipped through channels until he came to "Teletubbies."

Raph came over to him. "Mikey, why the shell are you watching this stupid show?" he asked his orange-clad brother.

"Because it's cute!" Mkey said. "I love these little guys!"

Raph just rolled his eyes and left before he got the urge to smack his brother upside the head.

"Hey, Raph, wanna go out to the barn and help me look for some tools?" Casey asked. "I've gotta tune up the truck."

"Sure," Raph answered. He followed his friend outside to the barn. It looked pretty big, and Raph wondered if Casey's grandmother had kept animals in there.

"Hey, Case, did your grandma really live on a farm?" the red-clad Turtle asked.

"Yeah, she kept cows and sheep, but when she got sick, she couldn't keep it up," Casey answered.

Raphael said nothing. His thoughts were on Leo. He didn't think he could bear it if anything happened to his big brother. He made a promise to himself to protect Leo from anything dangerous from now on.

Casey seemed to read his friend's thoughts. "So, how's Leo doin'?" he asked Raph.

Raph sighed. "Not good," he said sadly. "He's pretty down right now. I tried talking to him, but I don't think it helped. He pretty much said that we were better off without him. Why would he say something like that?"

"I think it's because he's depressed," Casey replied. "When people get like that, they may say things they normally wouldn't say otherwise."

"How do you know this stuff?" Raph asked his friend skeptically.

"Because my grandma had depression," answered Casey. "When she got sick, she was really down. She kept sayin' she wished she was already dead. I knew she didn't mean it 'cause I knew she wouldn't have said that at any other time. Grandma loved life."

Raph thought about this. "You don't think Leo's thinkin' like that, do you?" he asked fearfully.

"Well, not exactly," Casey said reassuringly. "I mean, I don't think he wants to be dead. I just think he feels bad about what happened."

"I know that," said Raph. "I'm just worried he might try somethin' stupid."

"Don't worry, Raphie," Casey reassured him. "Leo will snap out of it. He's got us to look out for him."

"Yeah, you're right," said Raph with a smile. "Let's get back to the house. Mikey's probably causin' havoc."

However, the two found Mikey watching "The Price Is Right" and complaining to the contestants who were clueless. Rah laughed to himself, imagining what Leo would say. Leo thought most game shows were stupid. The only one he liked was "Wheel of Fortune." He would always watch it with Splinter. (A/N: I like that show, too. I'm the master of it. I can usually solve the puzzles before the contestants do. Okay, now I'd better get back to the story.)

"There you are!" said April sternly, shattering Raph's thoughts. "I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?"

"We were lookin' in the barn for some tools," replied Casey. "I was gonna tune up the truck later. What's for breakfast?"

"There isn't anything to cook," answered April. "Is there a store near here?"

"Yeah, there is," said Casey. "I remember beggin' Grandma to get me candy when we'd go there."

"Great!" exclaimed April. "Then, you can go and get us some supplies. We need enough food to last us for a few days, and Donnie needs first aid supplies."

"Hey, I don't do shopping," protested Casey. "I'm not good at rememberin' stuff."

"That's okay!" said April cheerfully. "I've written a list down. Just get the things listed."

"I'm on it," said Casey. "See ya later!" He gave them all a wave and left the house.

After he was gone, April took charge. "All right, everyone, we need to tidy this place up," she said. "Raph, I need you to get more firewood. We're running low. Mikey can go with you. Donnie, I need you to make sure that the appliances in the kitchen are in working order. I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I get in there to cook. And, Master Splinter, you can help me with the dusting."

"I would be honored to help you, Miss O'Neil," said Splinter contritely. "I only hope that my sons will participate as well."

"Well, they kinda have no choice," April said with a smile.

"Do you think it was a good idea to let Raph and Mikey get firewood, April?" Donnie asked. "You know the havoc they can raise."

"It'll be fine," April reassured him. "It's pretty cold out there. I don't think they'll waste any time getting the firewood. It's the only way to keep Leo warm."

"I just hope Casey gets back soon," Donnie worried. "I really want to patch Leo up. He needs treatment right away."

"I believe Leonardo needs more than just bandages to heal, Donatello," Splinter remarked. "He needs support."

"Well, he has that," April said confidently. "He has family to look out for him."

A/N: Okay, so what do you think? It isn't lame, is it? I hope not. I'm doing the best I can. I had a lot of stress over the summer, and I can't stop thinking about my grandma. I just hope she'll be okay. At least I've got this story to keep me occupied, as well as my homework. Math is evil! Please review this story. I want people to tell me if I'm doing a good job or not. The next chapter will be coming out soon. See you then!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: All Patched Up And Nowhere To Go

A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter just like I promised. Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to review. As for my grandma, we got a call at twelve-thirty yesterday morning where she was sounding very confused. She wasn't sure if she should be alone or not. It was pretty scary. I have a feeling that she's only going to get worse instead of better. I hate to sound like a pessimist, but that's how I feel. Oh, well, at least I have this fan fiction and the Turtles to lift my spirits up. Okay, now to send shout-outs to all my loyal reviewers.

**The Sacred Heart 2: **Thanks for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like this fiction. Grandma's doing as well as she can be I guess. Thanks for thinking of me. Here's the update that you wanted. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Jessy Landroz: **Hey, thanks for the comments. Yeah, the family bond will grow stronger as they support Leo. And yeah, Leo's gonna kick some major Foot butt later. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Cynlee: **You've written follow-ups to "Tales of Leo" too? Well, what are you waiting for? Post them! I have to read them. The only reason why I think math is evil is because I never got the learning in high school that I needed for college. Plus, I have a learning disability in math. I like English though! Writing rules! Keep reading and reviewing!

**Shellsboy 24: **Hey, sweetie, I knew you were going to review this. Happy belated birthday! Did I mention that this is my birthday gift to you? Well, it is. I'll finish it when I get done. How's that? Leo smells, huh? Just for that, I'm going to have Leo kick your butt! Just kidding! Hey, I found out what you can get me for my birthday if not sooner. I heard about this Leo figurine that spins when you squeeze his legs. I remember seeing a commercial for them too. I think they were something like Battle Weapon Warriors. You'll have to check that out for me. Keep reading and reviewing! Love you!

**Mac: **Hey, thanks for the comments. I don't know if I'm gonna finish "Faye's Story" or not. I'll try, but I keep getting good ideas for other stories every time I try to write some more. Let's wait and see after I finish this one, okay? I also thought that episode was good. Little Leo was so cute! I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. That's never an easy thing to deal with. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Kenshin: **Hey, thanks for the words of encouragement! Yeah, I agree that they should have done a better follow-up. I don't think it took a day for Leo to recover. I think it took quite a few days, which is why I'm writing this. Thanks for agreeing with me about math. I passed the high school credit with a little help. The reason for that is because I'm L.D. in math, and I never would have made it. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Eldarsevenstar: **This isn't lame? Whoo Hoo! I must be doing something right. Yeah, I hate the Teletubbies too. They are so stupid. I'm glad you liked the brotherly love thing. I had fun writing that part. Here's the next chapter. Keep reading and reviewing! Oh, and update that story "Betrayal by Moonlight" because I was getting hooked on that thing.

**Beth Hart (Leo Oneal): **Hey, thanks for the beautiful compliments. They make my heart soar. You're proud of me? Oh, that is so sweet. Here's the next chapter. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Pacphys: **Wow! A long review! I like it. Yeah, Leo doesn't know Splinter as well as he thinks he does. All will be cleared up in this chapter though. You're also right about Leo not being in his right mind. I mean, he did take quite a beating. Yeah, Raph can be such a softy at times. I agree with you about the purple Teletubby. He does scare me. Acutually, they all do. I still prefer "Wheel of Fortune" to "Jeopardy" because it's easier for me to do. You have to be really smart to get the answers right on "Jeopardy." Don't worry, Leo will get some sense talked into him. And yes, Leo is pretty emotional right now. You can't blame him of course with all he's been through. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Katana Babe: **Another long review! I feel so honored. Yeah, it would help if they did more in-depth stuff after certain episodes. But, hey, that's what fan fiction is for. I'm sorry for the lack of description. The thing is, I don't have a lot of time to write this stuff because I'm in college. Also, I don't have a lot of time to type these up except in the mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays. I will try to do better though. I'll try not to worry about my grandma, but it's hard not to. At least I have this story and you guys to keep me feeling strong. I also have the Turtles of course, especially Leo. He rocks! I'm glad you're a Leo fan too. I own a Leo plushie and about five DVDs of the new series. That might be increased to six once I get the new one that's out. Keep reading and reviewing!

Phew! Ten reviews! I hope I get more! Now, let's see what our favorite boys in green are up to now.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Turtles, I wouldn't be in college slaving away over evil math problems. The Turtles are owned by Eastman and Laird. Bless those guys for creating some of the best characters around. All flames will be cut up by Leo's katanas, so don't even try it!

Meanwhile, Mikey and Raph were busy getting firewood so that Leo would stay warm. It was very cold outside and windy. They trekked to the back of the barn where the firewood was kept. Raph could see clouds in the sky, which meant they were probably going to get a snowstorm.

Mikey was examining his footprints in the snow. As Raph was getting the firewood, he picked up a snowball and lobbed it at his brother's shell. It hit dead center, but Raph didn't turn around. Frustrated by his failure to get his brother's attention, Mikey threw another one at the red-clad Turtle. This time, Raph did turn around.

"Did you throw that at me?" he demanded.

"Nope," Mikey replied innocently. "It might be ghosts, bro. This farmhouse has been abandoned for a while."

Raph rolled his eyes. "I know it was you, Mikey," he said. "Quit foolin' around. We have to get this firewood so Leo will stay warm. Now, get movin'!"

"Sure thing, bro!" Mikey said with a salute. He quickly went to the woodpile and gathered as many pieces of wood as he could carry. Then, he and Raph proceeded to the house and put the wood by the fireplace. They did this two more times so that the pile would be big. As they were coming back from their third trip, they saw Casey's truck come barreling down the driveway.

"Man, if he goes any faster, he's gonna cause a major accident," Mikey commented.

Raphael laughed at that. "Yeah, he probably will," he agreed. "C'mon, let's go see what we're havin' for breakfast."

"Hey, guys, can you give me a hand with this stuff?" asked Casey.

"We'll come out there as soon as we get this wood in, Case," replied Raph. After the two Turtles put the wood away, they came outside to help Casey get the groceries in.

"Did you get everything on the list?" asked April sternly as Casey, Raph, and Mikey came into the kitchen.

"Yep," answered Casey. "I got everything you asked for."

"Good!" said April cheerfully. She proceeded to take things out of the bags and started getting ready to cook. "So, what do you guys like besides scrambled eggs?" she asked them.

"I'll eat anything!" said Mikey cheerfully.

Raph rolled his eyes. "We know that, bonehead!" he said. Then he turned to April. "Just give us whatever you can make," he told her. "We're not that picky when it comes to food."

"Okay," April replied. "What should I fix Leo?"

"He told me he wasn't hungry," Raph said. "He said he'd have something later."

Splinter didn't like his son's report. "Your brother needs his strength," he insisted. "He needs to eat something because he did not eat anything yesterday."

"I'll make him some oatmeal," April decided. "I'm sure that will go down easily." She went to the stove and set to work. In no time at all, she had made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and oatmeal. Orange juice, milk, and coffee were the drinks of choice.

"I'll go take the food to Leo now," Raph offered.

"No, I will do it," Splinter interjected. "You should eat some breakfast, Raphael."

"But, what about you, Sensei?" Raphael protested. "You haven't eaten either!"

"I will be fine, my son," Splinter reassured him. "I need to talk to your brother. Perhaps, I can help him, as you would say, 'snap out of it.' Maybe, with a little support, Leonardo will heal."

"But, Sensei, I tried talking to him," Raph pointed out. "He feels really down about this. He thinks he's failed us."

"Then, it will be up to me to tell him otherwise," Splinter said firmly. And with that, he took the tray into the room where Leonardo slept. He found his oldest son staring at the ceiling as though in a trance.

"Leonardo, are you all right?" Splinter asked gently.

Leo turned away at the sound of his sensei's voice. He didn't want Splinter in the room. All he'd get was a lecture about how foolish he was to take on those Foot Ninjas. Now I know how Raph always felt, he thought to himself. He braced himself for the torrent of angry words, but they didn't come.

"Why do you turn away from me, my son?" Splinter inquired.

"Because I know you're upset with me," Leo answered. "Go ahead and say it. Tell me how I was foolish for fighting all those Foot Ninjas."

Splinter smiled gently at his son. Was that what Leonardo thought? Did his son think that he, Splinter, was angry about the attack? Well, he was, but not at Leonardo. He was angry at Shredder for injuring one of his sons.

"You misunderstand me, my son," the old rat said gently. "I am not angry at you. In fact, I am proud of the way you fought the Foot Ninjas. You were fighting for your life, and you were trying to protect your family. That shows a great sense of honor. Master Yoshi would have been so proud of you."

Leo was surprised at his sensei's speech. He never expected Splinter to praise him like that. To hear that Splinter's sensei would have been proud of him made his heart soar. He felt a little better about what he had done. He decided to tell Master Splinter about the technique he'd used to fight off the Foot Tech Ninjas.

"Very good, Leonardo," Splinter praised his son. "You used a valuable technique that I taught you. You must tell your brothers about this, particularly Michelangelo. Maybe then, he will take my lessons more seriously as I teach them to him."

"I'm sure the others are dying to hear about my brush with death," Leo said jokingly.

Splinter chuckled at his son's attempt to make a joke out of it. He knew that Leonardo was still suffering from emotional wounds, but he hoped that they would heal soon. Splinter then set the tray down and offered it to Leo, insisting that Leo needed to build his strength.

"Well, I told Raph I wasn't hungry earlier, but I guess I could try some," Leo said. "The only problem is that I can't eat while lying down."

"Let me help you," Splinter said graciously. He had Leo put his good arm over him and helped him to sit up. It hurt, but Leo tried not to cry out. After he was settled, Splinter gave him the bowl of oatmeal so that he could eat. Leo ate a little of the oatmeal, but he left a lot of it in the bowl because he felt a little nauseous. When Splinter voiced this concern to Donnie, the purple-clad Turtle wasn't worried. He assured them that this was a normal thing, considering that Leo had been thrown through a window.

Then, Donnie decided that it was time for Leo to get patched up. First, he looked at Leo's left arm and concluded that it had been broken. "It looks like I'm gonna have to set it," he told his brother.

"Is this gonna hurt when you do this, Donnie?" asked Leo anxiously. He was in enough pain already; he didn't need more.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," answered Donnie. "But that's what you have Raph for. You can squeeze his hand if you feel that it hurts too much."

"Yeah, and then Raph will kick your butt if his hand falls off," teased Mikey.

Raph rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "Nah, Leo's been punished enough," he said. "I don't' want to inflict any more pain on him."

"Wow, Raph, you really have changed!" commented Casey. "You're actually being nice to your brother!"

"Yeah, and we also saw that Raph's a huge softy," said Mikey with a laugh. "You should have seen him yesterday, Leo. He was crying when he was talking to you!"

"All right, that's it, Mikey!" cried Raph. "You're gonna get it now!" He tackled Mikey and put him in a headlock until the orange-clad Turtle gave up.

Donnie smiled at the two Turtles' antics then set to work. During the procedure, Leo kept a tight hold on Raph's hand, but Raph didn't mind. He was just happy to do something for his injured brother. Don managed to set the bone with expert care. After it was set, April helped Don wrap the arm in a bandage and put it in a sling. Then, Donnie and April bandaged Leo's lower plastron. Don surmised that Leo must have either cracked or broken his ribs.

"Oh, Doctor, you've cured him!" said Mikey in a high-pitched voice. "How can we ever repay you?"

"Try not to bug me for the next few days," replied Donnie with a smile.

"You have my word," said Mikey, crossing his heart. Of course, that promise wouldn't last long.

"How do you feel now, my son?" asked Splinter.

"Peachy," quipped Leo. "Now I know how Diamond Dallas Page felt whenever the New World Order ambushed him from behind." (A/N: Diamond Dallas Page, DDP for short, is one of my favorite wrestlers from the WCW days. The New World Order were the bad guys of wrestling, and they always loved to attack DDP. Of course, DDP never gave up, just like Leo. That's why I call Leo the Ninja Turtles version of DDP. The Foot also remind me of the New World Order, especially in that particular episode. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. I just wanted to give you some background on my favorite wrestler.)

"Yeah, but DDP never gave up without a fight," said Raph with a smile. "And neither did you, bro. Even when you were down, you still tried to fight to protect us. That takes a lot of guts to do that."

"Thanks, Raph," said Leo softly. "Did you really cry when you were talking to me?"

"Yeah, I kinda teared up," said Raph. "But I only did it because I realized how lucky I was and how lucky I am to have a brother like you. Besides, no one beats up on my brothers but me."

"Guys, I hate to break up the Kodak moment, but we do have to clean this place up," interjected April.

"Aye, aye, Captain," said Mikey with a salute. "Hey, I did find a radio. We should listen to some music."

"I don't think that radio works," said Donnie. "It's one of those old-fashioned ones."

"No sweat, guys," Casey piped up. I got us a radio from the store. It's one of those portable things." He set it on the table and fiddled with the dial. At first, the radio only got country stations, but Casey managed to find one that played a variety of music.

After that, it was hard to get Mikey to clean properly. When the song, "I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" came on, Mikey used his broom like a dance partner and danced around the room. He even went in Leo's room and started shaking his butt when the song came to the part about shaking his tush on the catwalk.

Leo laughed at his brother's antics. "Mikey, you are too much," he said.

"Thanks," said Mikey as he continued to dance with his broom.

"Hey, Leo, you remember this one?" asked Raph as "Love Shack" came on.

"Yeah, I do," said Leo happily. "We used to do a dance to it."

Donnie laughed. "Yeah, I remember that," he said. "We were quite the characters then."

"Actually, it was Master Splinter who taught it to us," said Mikey.

"I thought you made it up and decided to teach us!" protested Raph.

"Nope, I learned it from Master Splinter," replied Mikey. "I caught him dancing to it one day after Raph broke my skateboard."

"Well, you shouldn't have left it lying around so I could trip over it," retorted Raph.

"Hey, guys, could you show me the dance?" asked April.

"Too late!" moaned Mikey. "The song's over!"

"No worries," said Casey cheerfully. "I have the tape to it. It's in the truck." He hurried out and returned with a blank tape. He rewound it until he got to the song that the Turtles wanted.

"Hey, Sensei, you can take Leo's spot!" said Mikey enthusiastically.

"No thank you, my son," said Splinter gently. "You three can do it."

"Aw, come on, Sensei!" pleaded Mikey. "You're the one who taught me the dance!"

Splinter sighed. "Oh, all right," he said resignedly. "But do not expect a treat like this every day. Tomorrow, you three will be training."

Then the music started, and the Turtles and Splinter began to dance. As Leo watched his brothers and sensei dance, he couldn't help but feel envious that he wasn't doing it too. April and Casey were surprised at how good their friends were. They were especially surprised at Splinter's ability to dance.

"Wow, Splinter, for an old rat, you sure can bust a move!" commented Casey.

"Gee, Sensei, you never told me you could dance like that," aid Leo in astonishment. "You're very good."

"Thank you, Leonardo," said Splinter graciously. "And you, too, Mr. Jones. I have not tried dancing in a long time since that day Michelangelo caught me. However, I must confess that I do enjoy it."

"I could tell," said April with a giggle. "I can't wait to see Leo join in when he gets better."

"He will, April," Raph reassured her. "That's the first thing he's gonna do after he's healed." Little did Raph know that dancing wouldn't be the first thing that his brother did.

A/N: I had to stop it there, even though most of you might think that's a lame ending to the chapter. Anywho, I can't wait to hear what you guys think. Also, I have to ask you guys some questions. First, who is your favorite Turtle and why? Second, what is your favorite episode or series of episodes from the new series? Here are my answers to those questions. First, I like Leo because he's an awesome leader and blue's my favorite color. Second, I like mainly the episodes that focus on Leo. However, my absolute favorite series has to be "The Shredder Strikes Back" saga which includes "Tales of Leo." Those episodes rock! Please read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Feeling Helpless and Left Out

A/N: Well, the votes are in! Most of you who reviewed voted for Leo as your favorite Turtle. Good for you! I'm glad I've got so many Leo fans reading this. Okay, so we're not allowed to do shout-outs anymore. In the words of Stewie Griffin, "Blast!" I loved doing those. However, if you guys have any questions, I will respond to them, but not in the way I would normally do so. I will also respond to them at the end of the chapter. I'll just have to thank you guys the old fashioned way. Thanks to: **Jessy Landroz, Cynlee, Katana-Babe, Mac, Blueraven, Pi90Katana, Leo oneal, Aaron Smiley, The Sacred Heart 2, Eldarsevenstar, Digimon Girl, Chibi Rose Angel, Shellsboy 24, Redwaters, Cassie, and Faithful TMNTfan4ever. **You guys rock! Now, let's get on to the story.

After the dance routine, the Turtles and Splinter continued to help April and Casey tidy up the house. Leo felt guilty that he couldn't help out, but he vowed to do more once he was healed. He also vowed to train harder, since he would be behind his brothers.

After cleaning the house, the Turtles, Splinter, April, and Casey had lunch. April made grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. They all decided to eat with Leo so that he wasn't alone. While lunch progressed, everyone talked about something different. First, Mikey bored them by talking about the video game he had beaten before they left the Lair. Only Casey seemed to be listening to him. Then, Casey and Raph got into a heated discussion about who would win the Super Bowl this season.

"I think the Giants have a shot to win," said Casey. "They are just really good."

"No way," contradicted Raph. "I think the Patriots are gonna get it. They were awesome in that game yesterday."

"Yeah, you're right about that," said Casey. "They were winning from what I saw."

"It's a shame we didn't get to see the rest," said Raph wistfully. "Of course, it didn't' help that Mikey had to spoil it with his burpin'."

"Hey, I probably broke the world record with that burp!" protested Mikey. "Plus, you clapped for it, Raphie boy!"

"Hey, don't call me that!" retorted Raph. "I don't like it!"

"Guys, stop fighting," Leo begged. "I really don't want to hear it right now. I have a little bit of a headache."

"Sorry, Leo," Mikey said apologetically. Then he brightened up. "Hey, how about if we have a snowball fight after lunch," he suggested.

"I'm all over that," Raph said with a wicked grin. "How about you, Case?"

"You're on," Casey replied. "You want to partner with me, Don?"

"I'll pass thanks," Don answered. "I though you and Raph would be a team."

"You can partner with me," Mikey said happily.

"No, I don't think so," Don said. "I want to make sure things are working upstairs. I also want to make sure the stairs are safe for Leo to climb once he gets back on his feet."

"Oh, okay," Casey said. "What about you, April?"

"No thanks," April said. "I was never one to join in snowball fights. You guys can do that. Is there anything to read in here?"

"Nope," Casey answered. "We got rid of Grandma's books to help pay the money for her doctor bills. There is a bookstore in town that you might like. They've got a lot of used books for cheap prices and new ones too."

"Okay," April said. "I'll get some books to read. What sort of books do you like, Leo?"

"Well, I really like Japanese history," Leo replied. "But, if you can't get that, I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter books."

"You are?" Raph said in astonishment. "How did you get hooked on that stuff?"

"Donnie got me into it," Leo said. "He got the first one from April and began reading it. Then, he decided that he wasn't into it, so he gave it to me. I read it, and I got interested in it. There's a lot of history in those books if you look closely."

"Okay," April said. "I'll see if they have one of the books for you to read." She headed out and got into the truck. While she was leaving, Casey, Raph, and Mikey went outside to start their snowball fight. It was a pretty exciting battle, but Casey ended up winning. They decided to go inside to warm up afterwards.

"So, who won?" Leo asked them.

"I did," Casey said proudly. "Your brothers had no chance."

"You cheated!" protested Mikey.

"You're the one who was cheatin', Mikey," said Raph. "I saw you have all those snowballs ready to go. You're supposed to make them as you fight."

"Yeah, well, you didn't have my back, Raphie," retorted Mikey,

"That's because it was every man for himself," said Casey. "Just like they do in wrestling when they have the Royal Rumble."

Then April came in the door. "Hi, everyone," she said. "How was the snowball fight?"

"Casey won," answered Raph.

"Yeah, by cheating," muttered Mikey.

"Great," said April. "I got a lot of good stuff at the bookstore." She held up a novel.

"Whoa, April, I don't read romance novels," said Casey holding his hands up in protest.

April giggled. "They're not for you, silly," she said. "I got you and Raph some sports magazines." She tossed them to him. "That should keep you boys amused for a while. Don, I got you some computer books. I figured you would like them. Mikey, I got you some comic books. Leo, I got you the fifth Harry Potter book as well as some books on ninjitsu. I had a feeling you'd like those. And, Master Splinter, I got you some crossword puzzles. I hope that's okay."

"It is fine, Miss O'Neil," Splinter said. "I love to do those. I would often steal the TV Guide to the crossword puzzle inside of it."

"Oh, so that's why my TV Guide kept coming up missing," Mikey said. "I always thought Raph did that for a joke."

"I guess not," Raph said with a smile.

For the rest of the day, all of them had fun looking at their reading materials. They only stopped to eat dinner (chicken noodle soup for Leo and pizza for everyone else) and to watch television that night.

"Hey, isn't wrestling on tonight?" asked Casey.

"No," Raph said. "That was yesterday. Today is Tuesday."

"All right!" Mikey cried. "The Amazing Race is on! Let's watch it!"

"No way!" said Raph. "I don't want to watch no stupid reality show!"

"Raph, just leave it," said Leo. "I want to watch it. I love the show."

"Sweet!" said Mikey. He turned up the volume and began to watch.

"Man, that Jonathan dude is a jerk!" commented Casey. "I'd sure love to whack him with my hockey stick. You should never push a lady."

"Yeah, but he isn't as bad as Shredder," said Leo with a shiver.

"Yeah, I agree," said Mikey. "Victoria's whiny though. I don't like that. I also don't like Charla and Mirna. They're snobby."

"Mikey, you're whiny," pointed out Raph.

"I think all this is just for the show," said Don. "I think they just pretend to fight so that the show gets ratings."

"It could be true," said Mikey. "That would make a good Jerry Springer show."

"You watch way too much TV, Mikey," Raph said, playfully punching his little brother in the arm. "I don't think Jerry would be interested in that stuff. He likes bizarre situations."

After the show was over, the news came on. The newscaster started talking about a robbery that happened at a gas station. Then he said, "And police are still investigating the case of an explosion at a New York antique shop. Police believe that it could possibly be linked to terrorism. There is no indication that there are any survivors. Rescue workers will continue to do a search tomorrow."

April's eyes filled with tears as she saw the ruins of her beloved shop. The others watched with sympathy written on their faces. Casey put his arm around her.

"April, are you okay?" Leo asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Leo," April reassured him. "It was just a shock seeing that on the news. I'm going to bed now. Good night, everyone." She waved and went upstairs to bed.

"I believe we should all go to bed now," Splinter declared. "We have a big day ahead of us."

"Hey, Leo, do you want me to sleep in here tonight?" Raph asked his brother.

"No, it's okay, Raph," Leo reassured him. "I'll be fine."

"All right," Raph said. ""Have a good night, Leo."

"Yeah, sleep tight, bro." Mikey said cheerfully.

"Try not to move around too much," Don advised him. "Call me if you need anything."

"Sweet dreams, my son," Splinter said. He kissed his son on the forehead.

"'Night, guys," Leo called back "See you in the morning." After his brothers left, Leo settled down to sleep.

**Dream sequence**

_Leo was running across the rooftops, pursued by the Foot Ninjas. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get away. As he tried to escape, the Foot Elite blocked his path, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight. Leo tried to fight, but he couldn't hold them off. Then, he saw the Shredder on a building across from them, laughing at Leo's predicament. He gave a signal, and the Foot Elite pushed Leo off of the building. Leo screamed as he fell. _

**End of dream sequence. **

"Leo, wake up!" a voice cried frantically.

Leo opened his eyes to see a figure silhouetted in the doorway. Leo instinctively reached for his swords, but remembered that they weren't there. His eyes widened in fear. Why did he have to be helpless now? Where were his brothers when he needed them? Someone was going to attack him.

"Leo, calm down," Raph said, stepping into the light. "It's me. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Leo closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. He was trembling all over.

"What happened?" Raph asked anxiously.

"I had a nightmare, Raph," Leo answered, opening his eyes.

"What was it about?" Mikey asked. He, Don, April, Casey, and Splinter had heard Leo cry out and wanted to find out what was going on.

"I don't want to talk about it," Leo said shortly. "Let's just say it was bad and leave it at that."

While the others didn't know the nature of Leonardo's dream, Splinter did. He could sense that his son had dreamed about Shredder and the battle. He went to the kitchen and made some tea that would calm Leonardo's mind.

"Here, my son," the old rat said. "Drink this. It will help to calm you down."

Leonardo took the drink in his good hand and drank it slowly. It did seem to calm him as it went down his throat.

Then Don came over and checked Leo's bandages to see if the wounds had been aggravated, but they were fine. He warned Leo to try not to thrash around too much.

"I couldn't help it, Don!" Leo said angrily. "It was a bad dream!"

"Calm down, Leonardo," Splinter said softly. "Donatello is just concerned about you. He does not want you to injure yourself further. Now, try to go back to sleep. We will talk tomorrow."

"Master Splinter, it's already two in the morning," April pointed out.

"Then we will all talk to you when we wake up," Splinter corrected himself.

"I'm pretty much awake now," Mikey said.

"Look, everyone go back to sleep," Raph ordered them. "I'll stay in here with Leo."

"Raph, you don't have to do that," Leo protested. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sleepin' in here tonight, and that's it," said Raph firmly. "I don't want you havin' another nightmare."

"Okay, Raph," said Leo resignedly. He knew that his brother wouldn't budge once he set his mind on something. Luckily, Leo didn't have any more nightmares during the early morning hours.

After breakfast the next day, Splinter had Raph, Don, and Mikey go outside to the barn for a training session. Leo looked at them wistfully as they headed out. He really wished he could go with them.

He picked up one of the books on ninjitsu that April had gotten for him. He flipped through it until he came to a warrior wielding katanas. Tears filled his eyes. Why did he have to be so careless and lose his swords?

"Leo, what's wrong?" April asked him. Then she saw the picture he was looking at. "Oh, I see," she said. "You miss your swords, don't you?"

Leo nodded. "I don't remember how I lost them," he said. "All I recall is fighting with the Foot Elite and falling off the building. I knew they were knocked out of my hands, but I couldn't see them fall."

"That had to be hard for you," April said sympathetically. "Where did Master Splinter get them?"

"I'm not sure," Leo answered thoughtfully. "He never told us. All he said was that we were ready to have our own weapons and that we were to treat them with respect. He never had to worry about that. I just wish I hadn't lost them. I'm such an idiot!"

"It wasn't your fault," April protested. "You were outnumbered by the Foot Ninjas. It's their fault you lost them. Don't worry, I'm sure Master Splinter will get you some new ones."

"Yeah, you're right," Leo said. "I just wish we could do something about your shop."

April forced a smile. "Oh, I'll be all right," she said with a shrug. "I'd rather concentrate on helping you get back to your old self first."

"You could always stay at our place," Leo offered. "We'd have to ask Master Splinter, but I don't think he'll object."

"Oh, I can't ask you guys to do that," April said modestly. "It's not fair to you guys."

"It's no big deal," Leo said. "I'm sure the others will be happy about it. You could help Donnie with his inventions. And I'm sure Mikey would want to challenge you to one of his video games. Raph would like to try to get you hooked on sports. Master Splinter would like it too. I know he thinks of you as a daughter. I can tell."

"I don't know about that," April said. "I'm just a good friend."

"You're more than a friend," Leo contradicted. "You're part of the family. Don't you remember what you said to me as we made our way out of the apartment building?"

April thought for a moment. "I said I'd never run out on you," she remembered.

"You also told me we're like family," Leo reminded her.

"Yeah, I guess I did," April said. "It's because I do feel that way. I never had any brothers of my own. You guys are the brothers I never had, and Master Splinter does remind me of my dad."

"And you're like the daughter Sensei never had," Leo said. "You've been really nice and helpful, April. If it wasn't for you, I would have never made it out of that building. It means a lot to me to have a friend like that. I owe you one."

"No, I owe you guys," April contradicted. "You saved me from the mousers."

"And you rewarded us by letting us stay with you," Leo said. "And it's our fault you lost it."

Leo, stop blaming yourself!" April said firmly. "You weren't the ones who triggered that bomb. You've been nothing but good surrogate brothers to me." She hugged him gently. He was right in one way. They were a family, and April knew that she would die to protect the ones she loved.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. What did you think? Here are two questions for you. One is a Turtles related one and the other isn't. First, who is your favorite secondary character from the Turtles show? Second, do any of you watch The Amazing Race? If you do, what did you think of the premiere last night? If not, check out this show. Here are my answers: I like Usagi because he's an awesome friend of Leo's. I love that little bunny! Second, I love The Amazing Race, and I thought the premiere last night was awesome. Please read, review, and answer if you want. Catch ya later!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: One Step At A Time

A/N: Happy Halloween, everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update, but school has been keeping me busy. Oh, well, I'm here now. Big thanks goes out to: **pacphys, coldsunshin, Rat Queen Valarian, shellsboy24, Cynlee, Pi90katana, Chibi Rose Angel, Eldarsevenstar, innocent-rebel, and Tewi **for reviewing my story. Thanks a million, guys! You rock! Now, let's get down to business.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. I know I forgot to put this down in chapter 3 but you should know the drill by now. Enjoy!

"Concentrate, Raphael!" Splinter chastised as the Turtles had their sparring session. Usually, Don paired with Mikey while Raph paired with Leo in these sessions. Now, Don paired with Mikey and Splinter paired with Raph so that he wouldn't feel left out. Right now, Splinter noticed that his second oldest son seemed preoccupied with something. He knew it had to do with Leonardo and decided that he would talk to Raphael after the session was over.

"I'm trying, Sensei," said Raph. "I'm just a little out of it right now."

Splinter knew that he needed to talk to his son. He decided that now would be the best time to do it. "Donatello, Michelangelo, you are dismissed," he said. "Practice is over. I need to speak to Raphael alone. Tell the others that we will be in shortly."

"Yes, Sensei," said Don. The two Turtles bowed to their sensei and left the barn. As they trudged through the snow, Mikey asked, "Do you think Raph's in trouble, Donnie?"

"No, I don't," answered Donnie. "Sensei didn't sound mad. I think he's concerned about Raph."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Mikey. "Raph did look a little out of it. Why do you think he's like that?"

"Because he's worried about Leo," replied Donnie. "You know those two are close. What happened to Leo really scared Raph senseless."

"It scared me, too!" protested Mikey.

"Me, too," Donnie agreed. "But I think it scared Raph more. He feels guilty about all the times he's fought with Leo."

"You've got a point there," Mikey said. "I just hope Leo gets back to his old self soon."

"He will," Don reassured him, "but it will be up to us to help him."

"Well, I can do that," Mikey said cheerfully. He went into the house and spotted Leo reading his Harry Potter book. The orange-clad Turtle went to the couch and poked Leo in the shoulder. "What chapter are you on?" he asked his brother.

"Chapter eighteen," Leo replied.

"Oh," Mikey said. "Has anyone died yet?"

"Nope," Leo said. "I don't think anybody dies until the end."

"Aw, man!" Mikey moaned. "That's lame. I hope they kill off Snape. He's such a jerk."

"Yeah, he is," Leo agreed. "He's definitely got it in for Harry. I think I'll stop here. I can read some more later."

"Oh, don't stop!" Mikey begged. "I didn't mean to bother you!"

"It's okay, Mikey," Leo reassured him. "I was thinking of stopping anyway. Where are Raph and Master Splinter?"

"In the barn," Mikey answered. "Sensei wanted to talk to Raph about something."

Leo was a little worried about this. What was wrong? He knew that Raph was upset about what had happened. Had it caused him to hurt someone or lose concentration in practice? Leo decided that he'd have to talk to his brother when he came back inside.

Meanwhile, Splinter was trying to get Raphael to open up. The old rat knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he felt he had to try to peel away the layers of sadness that were making his son act in such a manner.

Raphael was a little worried when Master Splinter requested to speak with him. Had he done something wrong in practice? What was going on?

"Raphael, I sense that something is troubling you," Splinter began. "Am I wrong in assuming it has something to do with your brother?"

"Yeah, it does," Raph replied. "I've been feelin' real guilty about what happened to Leo. I just keep thinkin' that I should have gone out with him. Maybe if I had, he wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Splinter sighed. "Do you know why I forbade you to go after your brother when you wanted to, Raphael?"

"No, I don't," Raph answered. He had often wondered why Splinter wouldn't let him go rescue Leo.

"It is because I did not want you to get hurt as well," Splinter said. "I could sense that your brother was in trouble, but I knew that we could not help him."

"But we got him out of there, Sensei," protested Raph.

"Yes, but we had to make a retreat in order to do it," pointed out Splinter. "You also know that you and your brothers could not hold off the Elite in Miss O'Neil's shop. You would not have been able to stop them on the roof."

"I would have tried!" said Raph angrily. "I would have done all I could to keep those jerks away from Leo!"

"And you did just that," said Splinter gently. "Do not blame yourself for what happened, Raphael. You must be strong for your brother. He needs support from us to heal properly."

"I will, Sensei," promised Raph. "I'll do all I can to make sure Leo gets better. Then I want to go to New York and kick Shredder's butt."

"I believe we all feel that way, my son," said Splinter with a twinkle in his eye. "Now, we should get inside. I believe the others will be wondering where we are."

Raph and Splinter left the barn, never guessing that this building would serve as a hiding place for Leo. It would take some time for the Turtle to open up to his family.

Leo was talking to Mikey about what was going on in his book when they heard the front door open. They looked up to see Raph and Splinter come through the door. Leo looked at his brother with concern in his eyes. He could tell that Raph was upset. Had Splinter yelled at him?

"Hey, Leo, how's the book comin' along?" Raph asked.

"Pretty good," Leo answered. "How was practice?"

"Not good," Raph replied. "I got distracted and messed up."

"Well, maybe you should talk about what's bothering you," Leo suggested.

"It's nothin'" Raph said hurriedly. "I just let my mind wander, that's all. I'm gonna go take a shower. After that, Don suggested I start helpin' you walk."

Leo's eyes brightened. "Cool," he said. "I've wanted to do that ever since I was able to wake up."

After Raph took his shower, he found Leo sitting on the edge of the couch. "Leo, what do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I just thought I'd get a little head start," Leo said innocently.

"You're supposed to wait for me!" Raph chastised.

"Raph, I wasn't going to walk without you," Leo said, though this wasn't entirely true. If Raph hadn't come down, he would have gotten off the couch by himself because he wasn't willing to wait.

"Yeah, right," Raph said, rolling his eyes. "I know you, Leo. You're too stubborn. Remember the time when you got sick with the flu? After you got better, Master Splinter told you to take it easy 'cause you were so sick. But what did you do? You went and started training anyway, and you ended up havin' a relapse. Remember that?"

"You don't understand, Raph!" snapped Leo. "I want to get better! I'm sick of having to depend on you guys for everything! I did that back then because I wanted to train and I want that now, too! I'm sick of just sitting here while Shredder's at large! I feel so darn helpless, Raph, and I hate it! I'd be better off dead!"

"Stop that talk right now, Leo!" commanded Raph. "I don't wanna hear that! You talk about how you hate what's happened to you? Well, how do you think we feel about it? Leo, ever since this happened to you, I've had nightmares. Shell, I've had them before this, too. I've had a dream where it's you and me against the Foot. Somehow, I screw up and you end up gettin' killed. And you want to know what was botherin' me in practice? It's the fact that I could have prevented this from happening. How did you manage to fight them off by yourself?"

"Just luck, I guess," said Leo. "It wasn't easy to do. It was scary because I didn't know if I'd come back to you guys. I'm the one who feels guilty. You shouldn't feel that way, Raph. You did all you could to protect me."

"That's what Sensei said," explained Raph. "And you shouldn't feel guilty, either. You should be proud that you fought like that. It took a lot of guts to do what you did."

Raph's praise made Leo feel good. He was lucky to have family and friends who were supporting him. He was glad that they were proud of him instead of angry at him. It made him even more determined to get better.

"Okay, Leo, let's get you off that couch," declared Raph. He put his arm around his brother to support him, while Leo did the same to Raph. "On the count of three, I wan you to try to stand, okay?"

"Okay," answered Leo. "I'll try."

"One, two, three," counted Raph. Leo leaned against his brother and tried to stand. His legs were very wobbly. It took two attempts for Leo to stand, but he did it.

"Good job, Leo," Raph praised him. "Now, we ain't gonna walk real far. We're just gonna walk to that chair." He indicated the chair that April had set out so that Leo could sit if he needed to rest. Raph had decided to take it slow with Leo as Don had suggested.

"Okay," responded Leo. "I'm ready."

Raph nodded, and they started to walk. It was very slow going, which frustrated the Turtle in blue. Plus, every step brought pain to his lower plastron, making him wince. However, he was glad that Raph was there to help him because his legs felt like jelly. He probably would have sunk to the floor if Raph hadn't been holding him up.

"Leo, you're doing good!" commented Mikey. "That's awesome!"

"At the rate you're going, you'll be on your feet in no time," added Donnie.

"Yeah, and Shredder won't know what hit him," gloated Casey.

Leo managed to make it to the chair. He sank into it as though he'd been running a marathon instead of just walking.

"You okay?" asked Raph anxiously.

"I'm fine, except that I feel like I've been climbing Mount Everest," answered Leo.

Raph smiled in understanding. He knew that Leo was really sore, but that Leo could still get better. After letting Leo rest for a few minutes, the two of them got up and made their way back to the couch. Leo sank down while Raph tried to make him more comfortable.

"Well done, my son," Splinter praised his oldest. "You are improving at a high rate of speed. I did not think you would be able to do so much in so short a time. You have remarkable strength, Leonardo. I am proud of you."

"Thanks, Sensei," Leo said. "And thanks to you, Raph. Without you, I'd never be able to do this."

"Hey, what are brother's for?" Raph said, squeezing Leo's shoulder gently.

"Man, where's the video camera when you need it?" Mikey complained. "I could have gotten that on tape and sent it to America's Sappiest Home Videos."

"Mikey, there's no such thing as America's Sappiest Home Videos," Don pointed out.

"I know that," Mikey said. "I just wish there was. Then I could've taped this moment and the one where Raph was crying."

Raph got angry. "You are so dead, Mikey," he growled. He ran at his little brother, ready to beat him to a pulp. Mikey squealed and ran around the room, while Splinter reprimanded his sons. Raph managed to get Mikey into a headlock and wouldn't let go until Mikey took it all back.

"Okay, okay, I give!" whimpered Mikey. "I take it all back!"

Raph let him go with a mean glare. "Don't ever mention that again!" he warned. Then he stormed upstairs.

"Geez, what's with him?" asked Mikey innocently. The others glared at him. Mikey went to the TV and sat down to watch.

Every day after the Turtles had practice, Raph would help Leo walk. A few times Mikey and Don helped, too, but it was mostly Raph who did it. The reason for this was because Leo trusted Raph the most to help out. He trusted Don, also, but he was a little nervous when Mikey led him around. However, Mikey was very gentle with Leo and didn't make him fall.

"I really wish I could go upstairs," said Leo wistfully one day while Raph was helping him walk.

"You must be patient, Leonardo," said Splinter gently. "Healing takes time, as I have told you before. You have made good progress so far. You need to let your body heal at its own pace."

Leo knew that Splinter was right, so he stopped complaining and let himself heal. In a few weeks, Leo was able to walk upstairs. Raph stayed by his side, which Leo was grateful for. They were also rooming together, and that was useful. The first night that Leo was upstairs, he had a bad dream.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Raph asked, coming to his brother's side.

"It's nothing, Raph," Leo said hurriedly. "It was just a dumb dream."

Leo didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that he had to. "I dreamed about Shredder," he said. "He was laughing at me, saying that I had failed. He said that he had finally destroyed me. What does this mean, Raph? Why am I having these dreams?"

"It's just your fear talkin', Leo," Raph replied. "Remember how Sensei would tell us that when we were little and had bad dreams?"

"Yeah, I do," Leo said. "I just don't know how to stop it." He hid his face in his hands.

"You just need to think about good things, Leo," Raph said, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder. "When you have the dream again, just think of us. Maybe it will help."

"I'll try," Leo said. "Thanks for the advice, Raph."

"No problem, bro," Raph said, giving his brother a hug.

Raph's advice worked. Leo thought of his brothers when he had the dream the next night. It gave him more courage as Shredder's laugh was drowned out by his brothers' taunting. They were laughing at Shredder and promising revenge. Leo couldn't wait to get better. Then, he would get his revenge. With his family and friends beside him, he would destroy Shredder once and for all. He was sure of that.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. What did you think? I have one more chapter to go until this story will be finished. I'm working on it now. Okay, it's question time. 1) If you could hang out with the Turtles, what would you guys do? Clean answers, please. Nothing dirty! 2) What song or songs make you think of the Turtles when you hear them on the radio? Okay, my answers are: 1) I'd watch TV with them and listen to music. Then we'd go catch a movie and just hang out. 2) There are many songs but here are a few: "Us Against The World" by Play, "Survivor" by Destiny's Child, "Who We Are" by Hope Partlow, "I Believe In You," by Hope Partlow, and "Bye Bye Bye" by NSync because of how Karai betrayed Leo. I know that sounds dorky, but it's how I feel. Please read and review!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Four Once Again

A/N: Well, this is the last chapter of "A Warrior's Pain." I hope you have all enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was hard to do this chapter, but I pulled through in the end. I hope you all enjoy it. On a serious note, I would like to extend my condolences to the WWE for losing Eddie Guerrero on November 13, 2005. As you all know, I'm a wrestling fan and Eddie's death hit me hard. That's another reason why it took me so long to update. I'm fine now, though. He died of heart failure at the age of 38. May he rest in peace. Now, I would like to thank all of my reviewers who have stayed loyal to this fiction. Thanks to: **LadyKatana45, pacphys, Diamond of the Moon, Mrs. Turtle, Dragonfly Rider, The Sacred Heart 2, shellsboy24, Mikaela's Spade, Cynlee, Leo Oneal, Dark Sukii, Redwaters, innocent-rebel, Digimon Girl, Rat Queen Valarian, Tewii, Mac, Sunshin, Katana Babe, and Jessiy Landroz. **You guys totally rock! Keep them coming.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. If I did, I would be writing the next episode right now. They should make mine into an episode though. That would be cool. Some of this dialogue is from the episode "The Monster Hunter" which I also do not own. All flames will be cut up by Leo's swords. You have been warned!

Raphael's eyes opened when he heard April yelling at Casey for walking on her clean floor. Boy, Casey sure is tryin' his luck, Raph thought. He decided to go downstairs to see what the others were doing.

"Where is everybody?" Raph asked. He found Donnie fixing the toaster for the third time. Note to self: Never let Mikey near the toaster, Raph thought with a smile.

"Casey just got ejected from the ball park," Don answered. "April's in the kitchen. Mikey's taking a walk in the woods."

"When he knows perfectly well that he should stay in the house," Splinter chastised from where he was meditating on the floor.

"And Leo?" Raph asked a little hesitantly.

A sad look crossed Don's face. "He's been moping in the barn all morning," he said.

"Again?" Raph asked incredulously. Leo had been doing that for two days now. What was going on?

"Your brother is suffering from wounds both physical and spiritual, Raphael," Splinter explained. "He will need the support of all of us if his wounds are to heal."

Raph knew that his sensei was right. Leo needed to snap out of it if they were going to beat Shredder. He also knew that he had to find out what was wrong with his brother in blue.

The red clad Turtle went back upstairs to think about this. It was then that he noticed the book on ninjitsu that April had given Leo. It was opened to a picture of a man holding twin katanas. On the bottom of the page was written, "This used to be me" in small letters. Raph knew Leo had written this, and he realized that Leo missed his swords. He decided that something had to be done to get Leo to snap out of it.

Meanwhile, Leo was in the barn, thinking about his swords. He found a stick lying on the ground and picked it up, trying to swing it like one of his swords, but it broke. He dropped it and sat on a wooden crate with a dejected sigh. Why did this have to happen to him?

Donatello watched Raph walk out the door and sighed. He knew his brother was either going to pester Mikey or talk to Leo. He hoped it was the latter and not the former. Leo needed help, and Don felt that Raph could give it to him, if Leo was willing to accept it.

Raph walked to the barn, hoping that his plan would work. If Leo wouldn't go along with it, then Raph was going to try another way. He found his brother in the barn, trying to extricate a pipe from a pile of odds and ends. "Lookin' good, Leo," he commented.

Leo wasn't happy to see his brother in red. Instead, he seemed angry. "Go away, Raph!" he snapped. "I'm not in any mood!"

Raph smirked. "For what?" he inquired.

"I don't want to hear about how I messed up in New York," replied Leo. "I got my shell kicked, I let everybody down, I lost my swords. I—I—"

"Hold on, Leo, I wasn't going to say anything like that!" said Raph hurriedly. "I _was _going to ask what you're doing out here."

"Nothing," said Leo bitterly.

A smile spread across Raph's face. "Well, that's too bad," he said, "because I know what you should be doing. And I think you do too."

Leo didn't know what his brother meant, until Raph showed him the picture in the ninjitsu book. Then, he understood that Raph wanted to help him get back to the way he was before this happened.

And so, they set to work. As they did, Raph told Leo more about what had happened while he was on the training run and after he'd come back. He also told Leo how worried he'd been and how happy he was when Leo woke up. Then he revealed his desire to find Shredder and beat him to a pulp.

"Let's just take it one step at a time, Raph," Leo advised. "We still need to have a plan."

"Leo, I don't care about plans," Raph said. "I just want to kick his butt. Don't you want that, too?"

"Yeah, I want to end this," Leo replied. "I can't let him get away with this."

"Now, that's the Leo I know," Raph said happily. "C'mon, let's keep goin'."

They worked until their eyes began to droop. Then, they stopped and went back to the house. They asked where Don, Mikey, and Casey were, and April explained about their plan to fool Abigail Finn. Raph and Leo smiled at each other, remembering the days when they'd all get into scrapes.

"Knowin' Mikey, this plan's gonna go wrong," Raph predicted. Leo agreed, but he reassured his brother that Don would take care of Mikey. Plus, Casey was there, too. For the first time that night, Leo didn't have a nightmare. Raph felt that this was a sign that Leo was really healing.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast, the two Turtles went back out to the barn to finish forging the swords. Leo had taken the bandages off and seemed to feel better. His left arm was still sore, but he knew that in time it would go away. Right now, he was happy to be with Raph making the weapons that meant the most to him. He made up his mind that after they defeated Shredder, he would do something to pay Raph back for what he did for him.

"So, Leo, why don't you try these babies out," Raph suggested.

Leo took one sword and performed some katas that Splinter had taught him. Then, he took the second sword and did the same. They both worked well, and both Turtles were pleased with the results.

"Good job, Leo," Raphael commented. "You've still got those moves down."

"Thanks, Raph," Leo replied. "You helped, too."

"Ah, don't mention it," said Raph, waving his hand dismissively. "It was the least I could do. I'm gonna go get the others."

"We should just go out there together," protested Leo.

"No, I'd rather do it like this," said Raph. "It's more effective." He found Mikey, Don, April, and Splinter on the doorstep laughing at Casey, who was dressed in a ridiculous disguise. The Turtle in red rolled his eyes, not daring to comment. He would ask Casey about it later.

"Guys, come on out back," he said. "There's someone I want you to meet."

The others followed him to the barn. Raph opened the doors to reveal Leo. "I'd like to introduce you to Leonardo, new and improved," Raph declared.

Leo came out and unsheathed his katanas. "Hey, everyone," he greeted them.

"Glad to see you back, Leo!" said Mikey cheerfully.

Leonardo joined his brothers with a determined look on his face. "I say we go back to New York and finish our business with the Shredder," he declared.

Splinter smiled as his sons raised their weapons and cheered in triumph. He was certain that his sons would do well together. They were four once again.

After the Turtles parted, Mikey said, "I'm hungry. Can we have breakfast now?"

"Mikey, you are such a dork," Raph teased.

During breakfast, everyone talked at once. Casey told some stories about his days at the farmhouse when his grandma was still alive. "My cousin Sid and I would pretend we were wrestlers," he said. "We used to have pretend matches outside. Boy, did we have fun."

"Did your grandma disapprove of it?" April asked.

"Disapprove? Grandma?" Casey repeated. "No way! She loved wrestling too."

"So, when are we goin' back to New York?" Raph asked.

"Tonight," replied Leo. "It would be best if we went at night."

"But, Leo, wrestling's on tonight!" whined Mikey. "You know we always watch SmackDown on Thursdays!"

"Mikey, you're probably taping it at home," pointed out Leo. "I think that facing Shredder is more important than wrestling."

"We could always leave after the show," suggested Casey. "We'd still be able to get to New York when it's dark."

"I believe that is a wise decision, Mr. Jones," said Splinter, "Besides, I, too, would like to see SmackDown. It always brings a smile to my face."

Leo sighed. "Okay, Sensei, we'll leave after wrestling," he agreed. "However, I think that after breakfast we should do some training."

"Aw, Leo, do we have to?" complained Mikey.

"Yes," answered Leo. "We have to be prepared for what Shredder might throw at us. I'm not going to let him beat us down again!"

"Leo's right!" Raph agreed. "We need to get ready to kick the Shredder's sorry butt!"

"Are my ears deceiving me, or did Leo and Raph just agree on something?" Don teased.

"You heard it right, bro," Mikey said. "I'd better mark this on the calendar because you don't see that often."

After breakfast, the Turtles and Splinter went to the barn for some training. Casey and April came out to see them spar. Mikey and Don paired up, and Leo and Raph were a team. It was a pretty good session, and Splinter was pleased.

"Very good, my sons," the old rat said. "You did well. Leonardo, I am especially proud of you. You have shown amazing improvement and have not forgotten your training."

"Thank you, Sensei," Leonardo said, bowing his head. He expected Raphael to make some remark about Leo being a teacher's pet, but he didn't. Instead, he looked just as proud as Splinter was.

"Now, my sons, I suggest that we end the session with some meditation," said Splinter. "We need to be prepared for the battle ahead. We must clear our minds of all distractions."

Splinter saw that his sons had mixed reactions to this suggestion. Leonardo sat down in the lotus position, Donatello sighed, but did the same, Raphael rolled his eyes, and Michelangelo groaned. The old rat remembered having a hard time making the Turtles meditate when they were younger. They never stayed still long enough to do any meditating.

Despite the complaints of two of his sons, the Turtles were able to meditate and clear their minds. Leonardo, especially, had improved immensely. Splinter had feared that his oldest son would have a hard time clearing his mind, but he didn't. Splinter declared that they were done for the day and that they could go inside.

"You guys go ahead," suggested Leo. "I'll catch up. I want to stay here for a few minutes."

The Turtles, April, Casey, and Splinter left Leo alone, all except for Raph. He wanted to be there for his brother if Leo needed him.

"Raph, you don't have to stay," said Leo. "I just want to be alone."

"Well, I want to stay," declared Raph. "I can tell somethin's bugging you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Raph, nothing's bothering me," explained Leo. "I've just been thinking about things."

"What do you mean?" inquired Raph.

"I've been thinking about everything that's happened over the last few days," answered Leo.

"Leo, I know you're scared," said Raph. "I can just tell. After all you've been through, I don't blame you. Just remember that me, Mikey, and Don have your back. You won't be alone out there."

"I know that, Raph," said Leo. "Thanks for the encouragement. I think I need it. Now, we'd better get back inside before Mikey eats our lunch."

"Yeah, I can see him doing that like he used to when we were younger," Raphael laughed.

Lunch was a very fun affair. Mikey kept doing imitations of people that the Turtles and the others had to guess. It got pretty annoying after awhile. After lunch, Leo took a nap while Raph and Casey talked about their motorcycles. Mikey watched TV, and April and Donnie discussed computers. Splinter did crossword puzzles and read the newspaper.

For dinner, Casey got pizza for them to eat. They gathered around the television to watch WWE wrestling. April smiled as she watched her friends yell at the TV. Even Master Splinter was getting into it, something that the Turtles rarely saw out of their sensei.

"That is not fair!" Splinter shouted as Carlito beat John Cena. "Carlito cheated! He has no honor!"

"Sensei, it's fake," Don pointed out. "All the matches are scripted."

"Don, be quiet!" Raph grumbled. "You always spoil the fun!"

"Hey, Rey Mysterio's fighting next!" Mikey exclaimed. "I love that guy!"

"Looks like he's fighting Eddie Guerrero," Leo commented. "I'm sure Eddie's gonna cheat to win."

"Hey, that's his motto," Casey protested. "I love his car though. I'd love to get me one of those."

After the match was over (Rey managed to win), they got ready to head to New York. April gave the Turtles and Splinter some blankets so that they would be warm. As they drove away, Raph thought about when they came up here and how badly hurt Leo had been. These thoughts were shattered by Mikey singing "Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall" at the top of his lungs. Raph put a quick end to that song.

Leonardo was also thinking of all that had happened and was a little apprehensive about the coming battle. But then his brother's words returned to him. He remembered that he wasn't alone this time. He had failed before, but he would not fail again. With his brothers by his side, he would triumph over the man who had broken his spirit.

They would defeat Shredder once and for all.

They were no longer just three.

They were four once again.

A/N: Well, that's it. How did you like it? Those of you who leave signed reviews will be getting a reply from me fairly quickly. I also must tell you that during Christmas Break, which is fast approaching, I will not be leaving reviews to stories. This is because my dumb computer won't let me review. It stinks, but that's the way it is. I only have one Turtles question for you guys. Do you think that Leo will open up to Usagi in this week's episode? I say he will or that Usagi will notice Leo's strange behavior. Please review! They make my heart leap for joy. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, even though it's early! I have finals in two weeks. Wish me luck!


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